joseph mitro

now that i'm in the process of repairing my cracked 16v head, i've been told:

1. replace the lifters and valve springs. engine had 119k. why replace?

2. if not replace, install lifters in the same location they were removed. why?

what are expected prices for lifters/valve springs?

Gerald Allgire

Well, depending how you intend to use it will determine if replacement is a requirement. If it's your baby, then they'll probably be fine. If you plan to run it hard and use rpm then replacing the valve springs is a good idea. The lifters should stay with the cam lobe that they came off from. There is a wear pattern that develops between the lifter and lobe after break-in. Consider that no two are the same and that no two can be swapped and you will stay out of trouble. New lifers can be used on a used cam, but not the other way around. That having been said, it doesn't always work that way. I've built engines with used cam, used lifters from 3 different engines and it lasted forever. Then again I've had new cam lobes go bad shortly after proper break-in. This is one of those things in life that has a good probability of ending poorly, so start with the best you can. Be happy if your choice works and consider it a learning experience if it doesn't. 8)